


Dust to Dust

by sujiaer



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Canonical Character Death, Chinese Translation Available, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, but I love stevebucky even more, i hate thanos, i love pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 17:19:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15778593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sujiaer/pseuds/sujiaer
Summary: "...Steve?" he questioned, raising his flesh and blood arm to instinctively grab at one of the many knives hidden on his uniform, sensing what seemed to be danger. But Steve just choked out a low sound of panic and began to stumble towards Bucky. That's when he noticed. You see, when you lost an arm, and relied solely on the remaining one for day-to-day life and activities, you'd notice when also it was gone too.





	Dust to Dust

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [尘归尘，土归土](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15850917) by [NaruseRyo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaruseRyo/pseuds/NaruseRyo)



> Something I wrote the day after I saw a3 & had my heart broken into hundreds of little Sam Wilson's dust sized pieces.
> 
> Not my best work, and it switches from Steve to Bucky's pov mid-way. A bit over descriptive too but oh well LOL.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!! :)

It felt as if time had slowed to a snail's pace after the snap.

A bright, booming flash from the Infinity Gauntlet tore across the decimated land stretching around the outskirts of Wakanda's capitol. Steve flinched and brought his hands up towards his face to shield himself as the burning white light pierced his eyes, rendering him temporarily blind. It seemed to only last a few seconds before disappearing, leaving everyone feeling stunned and disoriented. A strange feeling soon filled the air, raising Steve's hackles. Something was off.

Wanda was the first to regain her composure, stumbling away from where Thanos had just stood to fall next to Vision's grey, lifeless body. Her dirt and tear smeared face was void of all emotion as she softly stroked the side of Vision's torn face, inches away from where the mind stone used to sit, and a gaping hole now occupied. Crackling red tendrils of her magic were swirling around the pair, a result of Wanda's pain. He had seen it only once before, in the ruins of Sokovia after her Brother's tragic death. His heart momentarily ached for her, and everything she’s lost, but now was not the time to mourn what once was. There were bigger things at hand. Steve tore his gaze away from the scene and truly took in the damage for the first time. Everyone looked beat down, and they all were thinking the same thing.

They had lost.

A feeling of dread filled Steve's heaving chest. Thanos had actually won. Steve had even gone face to face with the giant, foreign alien, gripping the cursed gauntlet in his own two hands at one point. But he had failed to do any good with it. Panicked, Steve dropped his shield onto the ground to grab his newly long hair in his fists. He had failed. Failed his friends, his family, the whole goddamn universe. His mind began to race and analyze everything he did wrong, or could of done instead. Steve hadn't felt this sick with fear ever since Colonel Phillips had told him in his rough, monotone voice that the 107th had been captured and declared MIA, with a Sergeant James Barnes missing and most likely killed in action. His gaze frantically searched for one of his closet friends, anxiety boiling in his veins. He let out a silent sigh of relief and lowered his hands back to his sides when he spotted her, safe and somewhat unharmed. A small win.

Natasha picked herself up of off the ground where she had been roughly thrown moments ago. Her posture was rigid and uncomfortable as she dusted herself off and turned to make eye contact with Steve, as if she somehow knew he was staring. A silent conversation took place. She had a look on her face that Steve never saw before, and it unsettled him deeply. She looked... genuinely scared. Not the fake mask of emotion she often used to trick and coerce people with. He took a step towards her and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the loud sound of leaves crunching and twigs snapping as a large mass hurled itself out of the woods and into the small clearing. Steve whirled around. Long hair and black leather. Glinting vibranium. Steve could of almost cried.

 

-

 

Bucky had his spare handgun pointing directly at where Bruce and Thor stood, who were still trying to get their bearings. Bruce sat slumped over in the marred Hulkbuster. He had a slight green tinge to his skin, and it wasn't from his friend. Thor had jerkily put his hands up in universal sign of surrender, a look of defeat on his face, and the slightly crazed aura surrounding Bucky faded once he realized who he was. Bucky switched his weapon's safety on and lowered the gun, breathing heavily. His metal arm raised itself and clenched it's robotic hand open and closed a few times, seemingly involuntarily, while Bucky's firm gaze shot holes through Thor's face.

"Where the hell is Steve?" he demanded, without shame. Thor blinked his mismatched once before silently pointing behind Bucky's back. Bucky whirled around, unstable on his feet, and his sigh of pure relief was almost audible. The tension melted out of his shoulders as he took in Steve's mostly unharmed body. He made it. They both did, once again. A warm feeling filled him up, one that he hadn't felt since before the fall. The same feeling he'd get when Steve would show up on his doorstep, alive and as well as he could get after another one of his common near-death bouts of sickness. That shy smile Steve would flash, eyes bright, and the tight hug Bucky would sweep him up into every time, once they were inside though, and away from prying, judgmental eyes. Bucky hadn't even known that he had missed this feeling.

_He's safe. He's alive. It's all gonna be alright now._

"Steve. Stevie. You're okay." He sighed, with a slightly wavering smile, beginning to walk with determination towards Steve. He had a sudden, overwhelming urge to take the blonde man into his arms, and hold him as tight as he could. Just like before. He couldn't explain why.

Steve choked out a small sob in response to the old, sentimental nickname, feeling some of his unease dislodge momentarily from his chest. It was something he hadn't heard in years, truly decades, not since the late forties, but he selfishly wished it could of been said in private, so he could really take the time to appreciate how it seemed to naturally roll off of Bucky's tongue. His nostalgic happiness only lasted for one wonderful, fleeting moment though; his expression soon shifting into one of pure horror. His mouth had gaped open. Bucky frowned, slowing his pace. Steve's wide, blue eyes were staring straight at him as if he had seen a ghost.

"...Steve?" he questioned, raising his flesh and blood arm to instinctively grab at one of the many knives hidden on his uniform, sensing what seemed to be danger. But Steve just choked out a low sound of panic and began to stumble towards Bucky. That's when he noticed. You see, when you lost an arm, and relied solely on the remaining one for day-to-day life and activities, you'd notice when also it was gone too.

  
He looked down in alarm, expecting to see blood and gore, exposed nerves and bone, maybe even an alien with a futuristic blade that had managed to sneak up on him, but froze when instead he saw what seemed to be... dust. Well, it was essentially him, he figured, since the reminder of his limb was also disintegrating in front of his eyes into an ash-like substance.

"Completely painless, that's new." he mumbled in sudden, sick awe, before snapping back to reality with dread. How is that what he's thinking about right now?

 _'I'm losing my mind once and for all'_ , his mind thought hysterically. He must of hit his head, or compromised his brain's healing progress and somehow regressed. He should of stayed in the damn cryo tube. That was the only explanation for the sudden hallucinations, right?

Bucky looked back towards Steve to see that he had also frozen, and could only stare with wide eyes. Could he see the dust too? Maybe he wasn't losing it and something really was wrong. He made firm eye contact with Steve and Bucky saw all kinds of emotions running through his watery eyes, and went to say something comforting to try to stop that horrid, terrified look he was making and reassure him that he's okay and it can't be real because who turns to dust on a sunny Sunday, Steve? c'mon pal that's impossible i'm fine it's not real and that they'll figure it out because that's what they do and what's going on I feel- 

It went dark.

  
The sparse remains of Bucky Barnes drifted peacefully onto the forest floor.

  
And Steve Rogers finally broke.


End file.
